IT IS almost impossible to keep up with the numbers. At the time of writing, the Covid-19 virus has infected close to two million people across the globe and killed some 120,000.

AFTER a turbulent week of political twists and turns, we have a new Prime Minister promising to appoint Cabinet members of high calibre with integrity and a clean track record. However, for some, the main questions, including on the legitimacy of the new government, remain unsettled.

It’s disturbing to see that threats and intimidation are increasingly influencing political decisions in Malaysia. The govt has to be firmer in handling key racial and religious issues.

SINGAPORE beat us to it again, this time in decriminalising suicide. Last week, it became the latest country to repeal archaic laws that made suicide attempts a criminal act.Unlike in Malaysia, where experts have been mulling over the issue since 2012, Singapore’s Penal Code Review Committee appraised outdated laws and came up with recommendations in August 2018.

FROM an optimistic dream to a recurring nightmare. That’s the misfortune of Malaysia’s Vision 2020.

Chinese voters want to show their disappointment with the Pakatan government but they also fear that a Barisan win would worsen the politics of race and religion.

The investigations into the 12 persons held for alleged links to the Tamil Tigers must be completed before the end of the 28-day period of detention without trial under Sosma.

Malaysia has to tread carefully in considering the pros and cons of going back to the negotiating table with China over the rail project.

IT is a shame, really. No other country blessed with so much sunshine, rain and vast areas of fertile land spends such astronomical sums on imported food.

IN 10 days, we will mark our 62nd year of Merdeka but unlike last year when elation was in the air with a new government in Putrajaya, the prevailing mood is one of melancholy.

IN English, the word ‘khat’ is used to refer to the leaves of an Arabian bush that are either chewed or made into tea. ‘Khat’ is deemed an illegal drug in some countries because the leaves contain an opiate-like stimulant, much like our ‘ketum’.

The latest sex scandal has fuelled more questions and doubts over the agreed plan to make Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the next PM.